A typical interior door is comprised of a rectangular door hung by at least two hinges to a doorframe. The door pivots about the hinges to swing between the open and closed positions and thereby allow or prevent entry or departure from a room. Although conventional doors are well known, they have significant disadvantages. Sufficient area must exist in front of the door so that the door can swing outwardly. This limitation may reduce the available floor space in a room, or require that the door be opened into a traffic area. Double entry doors are also known, which require yet more space.
The prior art also includes a variety of sliding doors. The prior art sliding doors generally slide on a track at the top or the base of the doors. The most common sliding doors are comprised of a transparent material, such as glass, and are used as exterior doors. The most common interior sliding doors are pocket doors. While pocket doors do not have the space requirements of conventional hinged doors, pocket doors require a door track disposed above and/or below the door that extends twice the length of the door opening. Because of a pocket door's installed position within an interior wall, the doors are relatively expensive to install and may be difficult to repair if the sliding hardware associated with the door breaks or malfunctions after installation. Further, the disposition of the pocket door also makes it difficult to replace the door if an occupant wishes to redecorate a room or relocate the wall opening.
Additionally, both conventional hinged doors and conventional sliding doors are manufactured to specific sizes to accommodate standard-sized door openings. Since both types of conventional doors are manufactured to fit within the specific standard-sized openings, the size and shape of the doors are limited by the size and shape of the door openings. Also, manufactures must stock additional inventory to accommodate the various sizes, further increasing costs.
The need exists for an innovative door system that is not limited to standard-sized door openings, and that incorporates an actuation mechanism that is easily accessible for repair, or the replacement of the door panels. The invention discloses a wall-mounted sliding door that can be used with a range of door opening sizes. The door slides adjacent to the wall and thereby maximizes the space available within a room. The door does not require a lengthy floor or ceiling-mounted track that may become damaged or obstructed. The door actuating mechanism also allows the door system door panels to be easily replaced if an occupant intends to redecorate a room.